V8 Supercars - 2013 Season

I have never really followed V8's, so here are my observations as an outsider:

The series seems to have lost/is losing its identity. Taking a successful domestic series and trying to force it into being an International has increased costs and diluted the fanbase. Moving more races abroad de-values the worth of long-standing Australian sponsors - Why would they want to keep coughing up if half the races are in foreign/irrelevant markets? Seems very ChampCar......

Nissan's involvement has some historical relevance at least, but the knock-off Merc thing is confusing. I hope they don't end up with some shonky NGTC-alikes with people converting any old car.

LARRY PERKINS has today confirmed the final details of the sale of his two Racing Entitlement Contracts (RECs) to Kelly Racing and the closure of his longstanding Moorabbin, Victoria, workshop that was the home to Perkins Engineering since 1993.Link

I was a bit surprised with Larry closing down PE. I thought it would have been sold as an entity.They were or did still make a lot of Supercar componentry as an industry supplier.What did Larry do with all the old tractors? He had at least a dozen in one of those sheds at Moorabin,, mixed up with privateer Commodores.And helicopters, old and new.

but the knock-off Merc thing is confusing. I hope they don't end up with some shonky NGTC-alikes with people converting any old car.

GT racing has always had wealthy patrons. It's just a wealthy patron, who happens to be a Mercedes-enthusiast, funding touring car racing instead of (apparently in addition to actually) sportscar racing. Besides it is a viable business too, I guess, but I don't think they are leveraging the brand too hard yet, The three sponsors they have would be on the cars anyway IMO.

Apparently there will be a Camry and maybe an i40 hyundai over in Kiwi-land.Lots pretty decent actually, does the camry.

This series had now dropped back somewhat... The new tv deal is onl worth $10m, after they tried to shop around after the 1st offer Ch.7 made.. ($25m) Abu Dhabi has now been dropped from the calandar.. (It was NEVER gonna happen a week after the Gold Coast event..) now the Gold Coast event is also in trouble.. They're hoping the new manufacturers can create new interest in the sport.. But when your name is Jamie Whincup, & you keep winning, that's not gonna help... Tony Cockhead thought he could simulate the Clipsal 500 @ places like Hamiton, Gold Coast, & Townsville.. But Clipsal is a unique event... Now races are falling by the way side, & he's just waiting in the wings to buy it all back so he can own it outright, & start again...

FPR need to win either the title, or Bathurst to restore the faith to their fans, & the balance this series was built on.. If Merc or Nissan win Clipsal in the backyard of the Bogan-ville.. That's not a good start... Worse still would be if Whincup cakewalks to yet another title, as well as both enduros...

FPR need to win either the title, or Bathurst to restore the faith to their fans, & the balance this series was built on.. If Merc or Nissan win Clipsal in the backyard of the Bogan-ville.. That's not a good start... Worse still would be if Whincup cakewalks to yet another title, as well as both enduros...

Which is more than likely...

I don't think they can stop a team for being too good, but certainly the "show" is tired and people are switching off. The difference between a top sport and an also-ran is really the "care factor" rather than the acutal quality of competition. People still care who wins Bathurst, but they somehow gotta get people to care about lesser races.

I don't think they can stop a team for being too good, but certainly the "show" is tired and people are switching off. The difference between a top sport and an also-ran is really the "care factor" rather than the acutal quality of competition. People still care who wins Bathurst, but they somehow gotta get people to care about lesser races.

Exactly. Having thirty cars line astern playing follow the leader and one team that is immune to reprimand for incidents doesn't do much for viewer enthusiasm. I used to watch every round in the late 90s/early 2000s but I basically only watch Bathurst for obvious reasons and Philip Island because the format is kind of interesting.

After reading a couple of US sites the Thupercar series can have a new player,, Chevrolet. Give the yanks something to cheer for. Just nominate every second Holden a Chevrolet badge and grille and they are done. FIVE manufacturers, gee it is getting bigger! With the same 28 car grid ofcourse! Including Bathurst.

After reading a couple of US sites the Thupercar series can have a new player,, Chevrolet. Give the yanks something to cheer for. Just nominate every second Holden a Chevrolet badge and grille and they are done. FIVE manufacturers, gee it is getting bigger! With the same 28 car grid ofcourse! Including Bathurst.

I am not usually one to bash V8supercars, but the Bathurst Grid is absolutely the most disappointing thing of the whole series. If only that would let top 20 cars from the development series run as well.

After reading a couple of US sites the Thupercar series can have a new player,, Chevrolet. Give the yanks something to cheer for. Just nominate every second Holden a Chevrolet badge and grille and they are done. FIVE manufacturers, gee it is getting bigger! With the same 28 car grid ofcourse! Including Bathurst.

No doubt the Commonbores will be branded Chevrolet SS's when teh series travels to Austin in May.

I am not usually one to bash V8supercars, but the Bathurst Grid is absolutely the most disappointing thing of the whole series. If only that would let top 20 cars from the development series run as well.

And if they could get the kind of international participation they do at Surfers without the artificial requirements.

Example: Instead of getting David Besnard to co-drive at Bathurst, why not get Mika Salo? Why would you pick Warren Luff when you could get Seb Bourdais?

I don't think they can stop a team for being too good, but certainly the "show" is tired and people are switching off. The difference between a top sport and an also-ran is really the "care factor" rather than the acutal quality of competition. People still care who wins Bathurst, but they somehow gotta get people to care about lesser races.

They stopped Marcus Ambrose when he announced he was going Nascar. Everytime he drove near another car he was given a stop go.Probably why he has never came back for a guest drive at Bathurst etc. That series has been choregraphed for a long time. Motor Sport, No, just motorised entertainment.Like Nascar.The Cockroachs bible, do everything like Nascar only with road racing. Full couse yellows for a one corner incident, yeah right. It closes the cars up but is not racing.These days the great names like Brock, Dick, Gricey, Colin Bond, Moffat would not get a look in, they used to build a lead and maintain it. not allowed now.They can and do drive very quickly ofcourse but actually I am surprised that Whincup has not been penalised a few times for the 'good' of the series, his mate has got a few suspect ones. It seems Craig is not allowed to beat Jamie, on his day he is better than him though probably not over a series.

They stopped Marcus Ambrose when he announced he was going Nascar. Everytime he drove near another car he was given a stop go.Probably why he has never came back for a guest drive at Bathurst etc. That series has been choregraphed for a long time. Motor Sport, No, just motorised entertainment.Like Nascar.The Cockroachs bible, do everything like Nascar only with road racing. Full couse yellows for a one corner incident, yeah right. It closes the cars up but is not racing.These days the great names like Brock, Dick, Gricey, Colin Bond, Moffat would not get a look in, they used to build a lead and maintain it. not allowed now.They can and do drive very quickly ofcourse but actually I am surprised that Whincup has not been penalised a few times for the 'good' of the series, his mate has got a few suspect ones. It seems Craig is not allowed to beat Jamie, on his day he is better than him though probably not over a series.

He has been wasting that seat since day one. If they really have a couple of even half decent drivers with a budet then I am afraid it is time for him to go.

Steve is an honest operator though no champion. He is better than about half the field, often in not so good equipment. But he usually brings the car home,, in one piece. More than some of the hot shots do who win or bin them

Yeah I agree that Steve Johnson isn't the greatest of drivers - though I think he makes a good co-driver at enduros like Bathurst - so if DJR need drivers to bring money to survive then it's time he stepped aside for the good of the team, he's had a pretty good shot at it...

Steve is an honest operator though no champion. He is better than about half the field, often in not so good equipment. But he usually brings the car home,, in one piece. More than some of the hot shots do who win or bin them

Are you serious? The guy has been wasting a seat for years. Considering there was stretch where Dick sacked 5 drivers in 5 years (including Glenn Seton) its pretty shocking how he's kept his son in there for no other reason than he is his son. The year when his teammate won the championship, he didn't even win a race let alone reach the podium! Bringing the car home means shit when the driver hasn't won a thing in over a decade.

Are you serious? The guy has been wasting a seat for years. Considering there was stretch where Dick sacked 5 drivers in 5 years (including Glenn Seton) its pretty shocking how he's kept his son in there for no other reason than he is his son. The year when his teammate won the championship, he didn't even win a race let alone reach the podium! Bringing the car home means shit when the driver hasn't won a thing in over a decade.

Courtney did get the best equipment, Steve got the left overs.And still brought the car home most of the time. That is fairly well known. As is the lack of money at DJR. But yes Steve may have to stand aside for a 'pay' driver. Though if they bin cars regularly that makes Steve look cheap.Budget teams need A reliability B speed, especially from No 2 drivers.Though again it does not say a lot for the series when longstanding winning teams cannot raise money to race.But having to build new cars is VERY costly and seemingly for no gain.There is far too much money to run these cars, they could run for half the money if they used more production based cars. The spectacle [or lack of] will still be the same.

Courtney did get the best equipment, Steve got the left overs.And still brought the car home most of the time. That is fairly well known. As is the lack of money at DJR. But yes Steve may have to stand aside for a 'pay' driver. Though if they bin cars regularly that makes Steve look cheap.Budget teams need A reliability B speed, especially from No 2 drivers.Though again it does not say a lot for the series when longstanding winning teams cannot raise money to race.But having to build new cars is VERY costly and seemingly for no gain.There is far too much money to run these cars, they could run for half the money if they used more production based cars. The spectacle [or lack of] will still be the same.

And where has a safe pair of hands got them? At the back. No sponsors. Debts. Imminent closure. Another potential talent, even a pay driver, makes a team look like they are doing something about getting back at the front. Keeping Steve just means a guarantee of no TV time for sponsors, and paying him for it. Many of Dick's backers in the past would question why Steven still had a job, though not openly... I used to think of him as an emerging talent those first few years, especially 2001 where he looked to be fighting for the title but unfortunately he's had too much cotton wool thrown around him in his Dad's team.

I agree on the point of production based cars, but the series organisers do not want that.

I don't mind it. Ford and Pepsi obviously going for a youth audience (whether or not they will be around in V8 racing for that long!). But cars like the Fiesta are definetely a cut above the (IMO) hideous Holden Barina (aka Chevy Aveo), and trying to persuade younger buyers to Ford even if they aren't interested in the Falcon.

Man, I miss the days of simplicity. And to think, all those sponsors had great liveries once. Bowe's CAT Ford, Dougal McDougal's Pepsi Holden, Winterbottom's Orrcon Ford, and Perkin's Castrol Commodore.

Here's as good a place as any to ask: What is with the Chev badges on Commodores on the road? It really bugs me that I dont know what theyre getting at.I get they're both GM, but its like me sticking a Bugatti badge on my Passat.

Man, I miss the days of simplicity. And to think, all those sponsors had great liveries once. Bowe's CAT Ford, Dougal McDougal's Pepsi Holden, Winterbottom's Orrcon Ford, and Perkin's Castrol Commodore.

Here's as good a place as any to ask: What is with the Chev badges on Commodores on the road? It really bugs me that I dont know what theyre getting at.I get they're both GM, but its like me sticking a Bugatti badge on my Passat.

Man, I miss the days of simplicity. And to think, all those sponsors had great liveries once. Bowe's CAT Ford, Dougal McDougal's Pepsi Holden, Winterbottom's Orrcon Ford, and Perkin's Castrol Commodore.

And once upon a time they all spent enough to have an entire car to themselves.

Here's as good a place as any to ask: What is with the Chev badges on Commodores on the road? It really bugs me that I dont know what theyre getting at.I get they're both GM, but its like me sticking a Bugatti badge on my Passat.

They look pretty bloody good compared to some others. Nice and clean.
Anyone think they missed a trick by not going for the Winfield GTR retro look some how?
Or would it just add to much hype? (Jaguars return to F1 rings a bell-"The Cat is Back")

The ls engine's are from Gm.. not Chevrolet.. so the Chevy badges on the holdens make no sense really

The engines are short deck SBC [Ford deckheight] with canted valve heads. and 5.4 conrods.Like a Ford! Parity you see.How you get that compared with a quad cam jap or euro engine is yet to be seen. Though reputedly Nissan are still way behind ATM

They look pretty bloody good compared to some others. Nice and clean.Anyone think they missed a trick by not going for the Winfield GTR retro look some how?Or would it just add to much hype? (Jaguars return to F1 rings a bell-"The Cat is Back")

Two things: - Not sure if our 'Nanny State' would approve of such a thing, or even if its legal (We have plain packaging cigarettes now and that sort of livery may be classified as advertising, regardless of if Winfield contributed any money).- The last time Aussies witnessed a Winfield Nissan in a ATCC race was memorable for the wrong reasons.

The engines are short deck SBC [Ford deckheight] with canted valve heads. and 5.4 conrods.Like a Ford! Parity you see.How you get that compared with a quad cam jap or euro engine is yet to be seen. Though reputedly Nissan are still way behind ATM

I was replying to the statement regarding the ls series engines and Chevy badges on everyday Commodore's mate..